Vital Stats

21 November 2014

Modern Art and Architecture in Rotterdam

Back in July, I went to Amsterdam for a conference. I opted to extend my stay over the weekend, so I had time to venture outside the city and explore somewhere else outside Amsterdam. So for one day, I took the train and spent the day in Rotterdam, which, I have heard, is a totally different city from the other Dutch cities that I have seen so far. I have heard that this is a very modern and futuristic city, and sure enough, I was surprised.

See, from the futuristic train station, everything looks new. This city has been totally destroyed in the Second World War, so this resulted in the city being an architect's wet dream. People started building outrageous building projects, and yes, they are very pretty (or ugly) depending on how you swing on these things.

Like any Dutch city, there are canals. But unlike most other Dutch cities, the canals aren't the main focus of the city here. Rather, it is the art and the architecture. The photos above show you the various public art that I have seen while walking from the main train station to downtown. It also shows how liberal the Dutch can be: just observe the gigantic statue called "Santa with Butt Plug" displayed in a prominent area of the city.

Like I said, the canals aren't the feature of this city. So when I took a walking tour all over the place, instead of focusing my camera on the canals, I focused them on the buildings found on the banks. Sure, there is an island that has historic-looking buildings, like in other Dutch cities, but I have to say that this is the exception. Most of Rotterdam is a scenery good-enough to be featured in a science fiction movie.

See what I mean? In fact, in my next travelogue, I will focus on one particular section of town that is known for its futuristic architecture. In the meantime, you'll have to be content with these, and yes, I definitely enjoyed myself. Rotterdam is good for a daytrip, and I surely loved the fact that I have spent the day there exploring the urban cityscape, which is rather atypical given the other scenery that other Dutch cities offer.